Is Young Blazers Guard Poised for Massive Breakout?

As Portland continues to tank, will this recent lottery pick take "the leap?"

Nov 30, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) reaches for a rebound beside Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) and guard Scoot Henderson (00) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Portland Trail Blazers are all-in on a rebuild. That much was evinced when team general manager Joe Cronin traded the expiring $22.5 million salary of 2023 Sixth Man of the Year point guard Malcolm Brogdon earlier this summer to the Washington Wizards, in exchange for younger, cheaper small forward Deni Avdija. That Cronin wanted to get off a lottery pick to do it was perhaps the price of doing business, but that didn't make that particular piece of transactional minutiae any less brutal.

One player who seems likely to benefit from getting a bit more (or, perhaps, a lot more) run in terms of backcourt minutes is third-year shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe.

Chris Dodson of ClutchPoints contends that the 6-foot-6 former redshirt Kentucky Wildcat is poised to blossom into a new level of prolific scoring in Year 3.

As a rookie in 2022-23, the 6-foot-6 wing appeared in just 32 contests. He saw his scoring output rocket up from 9.9 points on a .472/.360/.714 slash line, 3.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.5 steals per bout. Last season, Sharpe saw that output increase mightily, although he was only healthy enough to suit up for 32 games (25 starts). In 33.1 minutes a night of action, he averaged 15.9 points on .406/.333/.824 shooting splits, 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 0.9 steals a night.

"With Scoot better setting the table, Sharpe will knock down more shots this season. Just one more bucket per half gets the 21-year-old Canadian to the 20 PPG threshold that marks a truly elite offensive option," writes Dodson. Assuming he can register that level of production, the 21-year-old is at least capable of making a major impact on a team starved for scoring help.

"Bold prediction: Sharpe will take a significant leap in his development, becoming a primary scoring option for the Trail Blazers," Dodson adds. "Expect him to average over 20 points per game, showcasing a scoring versatility that scares several Western Conference contenders."

Portland finished 21-61 last year, and isn't exactly trying to do that much better in 2024-25. Prioritizing a youth movement — and putting the rock in the hands of Sharpe and young point guard Scott Henderson as much as possible — should help the Trail Blazers achieve their dual goals of being bad in the short-term and developing their promising young lottery picks in the long-term.

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